Amateur-built FK1 STOL and Cessna A185 accident near Dixie, Idaho, February 26, 2010
On February 26, 2010 at about 6:30 pm local time, 2 aircraft, amateur-built FK1 STOL (N4XK) and Cessna A185 (N1979T), were involved in the same accident near Dixie, Idaho (Dixie Usfs airport). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the experimental FK1 pilot to maintain clearance from a parked airplane while landing.
The failure of the experimental FK1 pilot to maintain clearance from a parked airplane while landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 26, 2010 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Dixie, Idaho · Dixie Usfs · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Amateur-built FK1 STOL
- Registration
- N4XK · registry record · serial 001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Cessna A185 F · all A185s on the register
- Registration
- N1979T · registry record · serial 18503686
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the amateur-built FK1 STOL final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilots of both airplanes, they were flying to the airport where the accident occurred as a flight of two. After arriving at the airport, the Cessna 185 pilot overflew the runway and requested that a friend on the ground check the condition of the snow-covered runway, which was reported as being in excellent condition, smooth and well-compacted. The Cessna 185 pilot landed and taxied to the end of the runway where he turned his airplane around and shut it down. The experimental FK1, which was equipped with skis instead of wheels, landed and was not slowing at the rate the pilot expected. The pilot said that, because of a lack of rudder effectiveness, the experimental FK1 veered uncontrollably to the left and struck the other airplane head on. The Cessna 185 sustained structural damage to the firewall. Both pilots reported no mechanical problems with either the airframes or engines of their respective airplanes. The pilot of the experimental FK1 stated that landing on skis at an unfamiliar airport, with untried surface conditions and with an airplane near the rollout area, was not recommended.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The NTSB's narrative for the Cessna A185 final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilots of both airplanes, they were flying to the airport where the accident occurred as a flight of two. After arriving at the airport, the Cessna 185 pilot overflew the runway and requested that a friend on the ground check the condition of the snow-covered runway, which was reported as being in excellent condition, smooth and well-compacted. The Cessna 185 pilot landed and taxied to the end of the runway where he turned his airplane around and shut it down. The experimental FK1, which was equipped with skis instead of wheels, landed and was not slowing at the rate the pilot expected. The pilot said that, because of a lack of rudder effectiveness, the experimental FK1 veered uncontrollably to the left and struck the other airplane head on. The Cessna 185 sustained structural damage to the firewall. Both pilots reported no mechanical problems with either the airframes or engines of their respective airplanes. The pilot of the experimental FK1 stated that landing on skis at an unfamiliar airport, with untried surface conditions and with an airplane near the rollout area, was not recommended.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record for the amateur-built FK1 STOL from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Ground collision during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Aircraft › Response/compensation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Snow/slush/ice covered › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,196 hours in all; 215 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 5,937 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 3, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 759 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2009; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Textron Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MYL Mccall ID at 5:30 pm
- Destination: A05 Dixie ID
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 36, 4,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft; clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 4:51 pm from MYL, 45 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
The factual record for the Cessna A185 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Ground collision during standing (engine(s) not oper) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Aircraft › Response/compensation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot of other aircraft
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Snow/slush/ice covered › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 27,000 hours in all; 2,750 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 10, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2009; 175 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental Motors IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MYL Mccall ID at 5:30 pm
- Destination: A05 Dixie ID
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 36, 4,500 ft by 100 ft
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N4XK the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR10LA155.